Chipotle gets into the pizza business

It’s not just about burrito bowls and guacamole for Chipotle. The Mexican fast-food chain is expanding into the pizza business.

Chipotle is opening a “fast, casual” pizza chain called Pizzeria Locale, according to the companywebsite.

The first restaurant, located in Denver, opened in May, and the company is considering two more locations in the city. It’s too soon to determine if Pizzeria Locale will open in other regions of the United States, said Chris Arnold, spokesperson for Chipotle.

Pizzeria Locale offers 10 pizzas or customer-created combos. Upon ordering, the pizzas are fired up in an oven that bakes them in less than two minutes. The restaurant also serves red or white Italian wine on tap.

“Opening Pizzeria Locale using a model similar to Chipotle allows us to make extraordinary pizza, made with high-quality ingredients accessible to everyone,” said Steve Ells, CEO of Chipotle, in the release.

The idea for Pizzeria Locale grew out of a partnership with the original Pizzeria Locale, a sit-down restaurant located in Boulder and opened in 2011.

This is not the first time Chipotle has ventured into areas other than Mexican food: The company also operates six ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen restaurants in Washington and Los Angeles.

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